Method of making pads of sheets



Dec. 29, 1970 B. C. BLAIR Filed Feb. 25 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. BOYD C. BLA/R ink/MM ATTORNEY` METHOD oF MAKING PADS oF SHEETS Dec. 29, 1970 B. c. BLAIR METHOD OF MAKING PADS OF' SHEETS Filed Feb. 2.5 1967 IIIIIIII lllllllllllllillllllll IIIIIIIIHI IIIIII lllllllllllll 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 In Y 2 T @vi/g. 5.

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United States Patent Oice 3,551,248 Patented Dec. 29, 1970 U.S. Cl. 156-305 1 Claim ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A pad formed of a plurality of sheets of material such as paper having margins adjacent one edge secured together by a substantially rigid post of adhesive extending through aligned apertures in the sheets and adhered to the edges defining said apertures, said sheets having lines of separation spaced from said posts and with the edge portion of the pad exposed or covered with a stripping. The pads or the like being formed by arranging a plurality of sheets in a stack, clamping the sheets together, punching the sheets adjacent an edge to provide through apertures, placing adhesive in surrounding relation to an inserter of lesser cross section than the apertures, inserting same into the apertures and withdrawing the inserter, leaving the adhesive to cure or harden in the respective apertures forming a rigid post bonded to the sheet edges defining the aperture.

Heretofore it has been common practice to bind a plurality of sheets in pads such as check books and the like by stitching such as by use of a plurality of wire staples arranged near an edge of the pad and spaced along the length thereof. The stitched pad could then be left bare or stripped to cover the edge margins and staples. Such binding methods required special handling and were time consuming. Also with such a pad wherein the sheets have lines of perforation adjacent the staples, in removing one of the sheets, instead of separating on the line of perforations, a portion of the sheet between the staples is frequently removed with the check or sheet portion.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide a plurality of sheets of material secured together in a pad or other selected assembly with binding members that eliminate the staples and the difficulties aforementioned; to provide such an assembly wherein the binding is adapted for quantity production with apertures punched or formed at selected intervals and adhesive applied to the apertures as the assembly is moved along a defined path; to provide such a pad of sheets wherein the sheets are held in assembled position by a plurality of rigid posts of suitable adhesive or resin based glue adapted to be applied in the form of a owable rviscous material that when air or heat cured is rigid and bonds with the sheet edges defining the apertures; to provide a method of binding sheets in pads wherein a plurality of sheets are clamped and moved in a defined path, provided with a plurality of spaced holes or apertures, and adhesive inserted into the apertures and hardened, the assembly then being released from the clamping pressures; and to provide a pad of sheets and method of making same wherein the structures are adapted for high speed production methods, the pad is economical to produce with the sheets positively held in the assembled condition.

Other objects and advantages of this invention Will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and examples certain embodiments of this invention.

FIG. l is a perspective view of a pad of sheets secured together and embodying the features of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial end elevation of the pad with a portion broken away to show one of the fasteners.

FIG. 3 is a partial side elevational view of a machine for securing the assembled sheets in pads.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional View through a portion of the machine used for punching of the apertures in the sheets therein.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view through a portion of the machine used for application of adhesive to the apertures.

FIG. 6 is a partial face elevation of an adhesive wheel.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a modified form of pad and fastener with portions broken away to show the structure and fastener arrangement.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

The reference numeral 1 generally designates a pad formed of a stack of sheets 2 of suitable material such as paper arranged in overlaying relation and preferably positioned with a heavier sheet or board 3 at the face which normally would be at the bottom of the sheets as they are later used. The pad may be a plurality of printed sheets, as for example, such as would be used in a check book or sheets that are blank or printed for any desired use.

In the illustrated structure, the sheets are each provided with a line of separation 4 in the form of a line of perforations near but spaced from an edge 5. All the sheets are secured together at a plurality of spaced points 6 arranged and spaced longitudinally of the pad between the edge 5 and the line of perforations 4. At each point 6 the sheets are provided with holes or apertures 7 that are aligned and extend through the stack aud/or sheets 3, and a substantially rigid post 8 is positioned in said holes and extends through the pad with said post bonded to the edges 9 of the sheets forming the holes 7. The edges 5 and margins adjacent thereto may be left uncovered, however, in the structure illustrated, in FIGS. 1 and 2 they are covered by a strip 10 that may be paper or cloth. The strip 10 is applied and adhered to the margin and edge portions to provide a covering.

The post 8 may be of any desired size and cross section and for simplicity is preferably cylindrical and is hollow for a substantial portion thereof, having an elongate bore 11 extending from one end 12 and terminating as at 13 in spaced relation to other end 14 of the post. It has been found that posts of one-sixteenth inch diameter with a spacing of three-fourths inch provides suitable connections that hold the sheets so they will separate at a line of perforations.

In making the assembled sheets into pads 1 or other suitable stacks wherein a plurality of sheets 2 are secured one to the other, it is preferred that the stack of suitable quantity of sheets be arranged with the edges 5 in registry and then a plurality of holes 7 are formed in the stack and extend therethrough, said holes being spaced along the stack adjacent the edge 5. The stack is clamped and a suitable glue or adhesive that is owable but viscous and capable of adhering to the sheet material is then applied into the holes with the glue or adhesive curing or hardening. The glue may be suitable for rapid hardening at ambient temperatures or may be heat cured, however, it is preferred to use a rapid hardening cold resin base glue which is relatively viscous and rapid drying. With such glue and with the sheets clamped together there is only slight, if any, penetration between the faces of the sheet adjacent the opening or holes 7, but there is adherence with each sheet so the rigid post 8 forms a definite bond and anchor for the sheets to secure same together.

The pad structure and method of bonding is particularly adapted for high speed operation, as for example, by a machine as illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 6, inclusive,

wherein the machine has a frame 15 supporting a table portion 16 for feeding a plurality of sheets 2 arranged in suitable quantities or stacks as at 17 between guides 18 wherein the sheets rest on an edge 5. A suitable feeder conveyor 20 may be used to move the loose sheets from the feeder into a further processing path in which the sheet assemblies or stack are supported by spaced belts 21 and 22. The inner runs of the belts 21 and 22 are engaged by a plurality of rollers 23 suitably mounted and urged toward one another to apply clamping pressure to the sheet assemblies therebetween. The lower portion of the belts 21 and 22 are spaced from the lower edges 5 and the marginal portion of the sheets to be secured together. The belts are driven by drive pulleys 25 carried on shafts 26 extending from a po-wer transmission in a housing 27. The input shaft 28 of the transmission extends longitudinally of the machine and is driven by a suitable motor or source of power 29 through a speed reduction 30. As the sheet assemblies or stacks are moved along the path and clamped by the belts they pass between a suitable punching apparatus 31 to form a plurality of holes extending through the sheets of the stack. In the structure illustrated, the holes are punched by a rotary punch structure having a disk 38 with a plurality of male dies or punches 39 spaced circumferentially and extending radially thereof and adapted to penetrate the sheets. A die roller 40 is in opposed relation on the other side of the stack of sheets and with registering female die members or openings 41 cooperating with the punch or male dies 39. This rotary punch has the members 38 and 40 mounted on shafts 42 and 43 respectively, which are driven in synchronism by gear or like means 44 and 45. The shaft 42 is suitably driven through power transmission means such as gears 46 from the shaft 28.

The punched pads or stacks of clamped sheets move along the path and suitable glue is applied into the holes 7 and deposited therein. In the structure illustrated, suitable glue in owable form is in an open top container 48 and rotatably mounted thereabove by means of a bearing 49 is a shaft 50 carrying a roller or disk 51 which has a lower portion extending in and running in the glue. The disk 51 has one face 52 provided with a plurality of recesses or sockets 53 extending inwardly from said face thereof. The face 52 is arranged toward an applicator wheel 54 which has a plurality of radially extending pins 55 circumferentially spaced thereon and adapted to extend into the sockets 53 as the disk and wheel are rotated. The wheel is rotated by a shaft 56 which is driven through a gear set 57 from the shaft 28 whereby the wheel turns at the same rate as the rotary punch mechanism with the same number of pins so the pins 55 will move into the punched holes in the sheets as the sheets are moved thereby. The wheel 54 and disk 51 are driven in synchronism by gears 58 and 59 and the sockets 53 are elongated whereby as they are rotated the sockets in the lower portion of the disk 51 has glue flow therein which glue is carried upwardly and as the pins enter the respective sockets the viscous glue adheres to the surface of the pins. Then as the pins move into the holes 7 the glue is carried therewith and deposited in the holes. The action of the pins 55 in moving in and out of the holes 7 is the same as the rotary punch male members 39, however, since the glue is quite viscous, it is found that it tends to adhere to the edges of the sheets dening the holes and withdrawal of the pins leave the glue in a hollow structure as it hardens. The movement of the pins 55 tends to cause some of the glue to penetrate slightly between the adjacent sheets but the sheets are clamped together so the penetration is only slight, however, it is a positive bond when the glue is hardened that holds the sheets together. The pads may then be delivered to a delivery table 61, however,

it may be desired to apply tape over the adjacent edge of the pad. In the structure illustrated, a tape, gummed or ungummed and preferably fabric, is fed from a lroll 62 to an applicator 63 for gluing or moistening one face `64 of the tape 65. The tape is then fed over idler rollers 66 and then over rollers 67 and 68 which apply `the ltape to the edges 5 of the sheets and turn same upwardly on the outer margins where the tape is wiped by wapers 69 into engagement with the margins of the pad. The taped pads are then moved on through the machine to a position where a cutting blade 70 cuts the tape ybetween the pads. The separated pads are then moved by the belts 21 and 22 to the discharge or delivery position 6-1 or suitable disposal or further processing.

In the form of the invention illustrated in FIG. 7, a pad 70 has a plurality of sheets 71 each provided with a line of perforation 72 adjacent an edge 73 which edges are in registry. The sheets are suitably punched or otherwise provided with apertures 74 that extend through the pad with said apertures intersecting the edges 73 to provide a rear opening 75. It is preferred that the size of the apertures or holes be such that, if circular, approximately two-thirds of the circle is in the sheets. Suitable glue or adhesive is then applied in a strip 76 coating the edges 73 and in the application of such glue it flows into the apertures 74 to form therein solid rigid post like extensions of the strip 76 whereby both the strip 76 and the pos-ts adhere to the edges of the sheets yand provide a positive bond therefor. Such structure may be left aS illustrated or may be taped, if desired.

It is to be understood 'that while I have illustrated and described certain forms of my invention, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts herein described and shown except insofar as such limitations are included in the claims.

What I claim and desire `to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of forming a pad of paper sheets secured together compris-ing:

(a) providing a plurality of sheets of paper of a predetermined size,

(b) arranging a plurality of such sheets in a stack with one edge of the sheets substantially in registry with corresponding edges of other sheets,

(c) clamping the stack of Sheets to compress and hold same together,

(d) moving the clamped stack in a defined path While maintaining the clamped condition,

(e) punching a plurality of holes in 'the stack 'as said stack is moved along said defined path, said holes being in a line adjacent said one edge of the sheets of the stack,

(f) inserting and withdrawing adhesive carrying members into the punched holes as 'the clamped stack is moved along the defined path and thereby depositing a quantity of adhesive in said holes in Contact with sheet edges defining the holes, said adhesive in the holes being in the form of a hollow mass and characterized by being rapid in drying and hardening,

(g) maintaining the stack under clamping pressure for a predetermining hardening of Ithe `adhesive and the forming of a hollow rigid post bonded to sheet edges dening the respective hole and thereby securing the sheets one to the other at the edges defining the holes therein.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1960 Winders, Sr., et al. 156-305 7/1968 Calvert 1 156--305 

